Posted by AC
a resident of another community
on Aug 24, 2009 at 2:48 pmAC is a registered user.

I can't help but wonder what a 13-year old girl was doing on the train tracks at 10:45pm. Moreover I can't help but wonder what she was doing on the train tracks at 10:45pm and unable to hear the horn or see the bright three lights on the front of the train.

Posted by Jessica
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Aug 24, 2009 at 3:23 pm

I agree, why is a teenager of that age doing out at that time of night?

Parent's nowadays need to be "strict" with their children. Not point the fingers at these parents who I'm sure are grieving but as a whole, many parents today do not know how to be good parents. I am in the education field so I speak from first hand experience.

Posted by Les
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Aug 24, 2009 at 5:07 pm

To Jessica,

You are in the education field, but are you a PARENT? It is so easy to say that parents need to be more "strict". But, you have no idea what happened. There are so many scenarios here - the parents think the girl was at a sleep away at her friends as one example.

Remember that many say that teachers need to be better at their jobs - that is not always the case, but it is easy to say when you are not one of them

Posted by Char
a resident of another community
on Aug 24, 2009 at 5:50 pm

I don't think that is a typo. All other news agencies reported that she was 13. I recently watched a very tragic but honest documentary about a teenage boy who committed suicide. It is called "Boy Interrupted" and it is on HBO. This story is just about that boy, so I am not suggesting a comparison to this story. It is a very honest look at suicide and one family's experience with this tragedy.
I think these tracks have to be treated like bridges and have a suicide barriers, bridges and traffic tunnels built. I agree with a poster on the Palo Alto board who suggested we all "boycott" these crossings and drive an extra mile to an established bridge crossing.

Posted by anonymous
a resident of Shoreline West
on Aug 26, 2009 at 12:37 am

Char, it's commendable that you want to prevent these tragedies, but do you really think suicide barriers, bridges, and traffic tunnels would do so? that it would make people stop killing themselves instead of just finding another way? or that you could enumerate and guard against all the possible ways in which people can easily kill themselves? are you willing to create a nightmarish world without freedom or excitement in order to try?

I think the only way to stop this is to make people stop wanting to kill themselves. Otherwise, you might as well slap a "mission accomplished" banner on your shiny new barricade.

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